Maoists have nexus with terrorists: official

Lucknow, March 18 (IANS) Maoist rebels are in touch with certain terrorist outfits based in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, a senior official said here Tuesday. “While we were still trying to ascertain their modus operandi for maintaining contact, we have also thrashed out a sound strategy to deal with them,” Anil Kumawat, secretary (internal security), told mediapersons.

“I do not think the Indian Naxal (Maoist) outfits depend on Nepal Naxalites for supply of arms for which they have their own network, but we have sufficient reason to believe that they are in regular contact with each other,” he remarked in reply to a query.

He was speaking after the first day’s deliberations at a two-day meeting of the anti-Maoist task force.

Top cops from Maoist affected states have converged here for the meet, aimed at evolving a strategy to check the expanding tentacles of aggressive Maoist groups in at least eight Indian states.

Focusing on Maoist operations in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, Kumawat stressed upon the need for effective coordinated effort among the states.

“Ironically, Maoist groups in different states had far better coordination among them than we have among the police forces,” he said.

“Logically speaking, there should be no reason why the states cannot work in tandem by sharing intelligence inputs to deal with the menace, but there was still much to be done in that direction,” he added.